Solved Fresh win7 install need driver and HDD install advice

[TrunkMonkey]

Just did a clean install of windows pro on new hdd. Told setup to only install important updates and auto updates in turned off. Searching this forum i found a few folks say "definitely let windows install all the drivers for MOB, devices, etc. they are the experts" while another post said "always use MOB site drivers, since they are often tweaked for exact MOB specs, no matter how old they are". So I'm at a crossroads wondering which to do. Asus software was a nightmare before. Granted, I did install almost all of it, and probably made it a mess (qfan, asusupdater, Volt something something allowing in OS O.C. tweaks, etc). Drivers from them didn't seem to be a problem though. I want to avoid any bloatware which comes along with driver packages sometimes.

I have 1 yellow exclamation in PC properties (USB controller), but that's because everything is running on minimal drivers or no drivers. I did install windows update version of Realtek network card, and ATI display driver, but thats all. I have 3 hdds in the machine, new hdd (ST2000) with win, another new hdd unformatted, and original C: drive (to allow for file transfering, then I will yank it and convert into external for backup). Also have 2 dvd burners. Everything is visible to BIOS and Windows except unformatted ST2000 (will use for applications and data/media). I'm hoping once I do install drivers, however, that this drive will become visible.

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide. I'm really please to have found this site.

ps. i'm assuming my system specs will be visible as I filled it out completely during registration.

 

[theog]

"always use MOB site drivers,

Best to use the manufacturer's drivers.

Windows except unformatted ST2000

Check in Disk management & format.

 

[DocBrown]

Welcome TrunkMonkey,


If you still have the MB Disc, I would install just the minimal drivers from it, non of the special stuff.

To see your unformatted ST2000 try this

rb: Start :ar: Computer Management :ar: Disk Management
Maximize to full screen
Take a Snip of it with the Snipping Tool, Save snip, then upload the snip here in your post.

 

[TrunkMonkey]

Thanks. Disk management does not show this drive. Interestingly is assigns drive letter E to one of the system reserved partitions of another drive formatted drive. at least i assume it was from a drive which it recognized. BIOS doesn't list this drive either. It's connected via a sata 6bg cable, just like the C: drive (which is same model) and connected to 1 of the 6 MOB sata connections.

 

[TrunkMonkey]

Welcome TrunkMonkey,


If you still have the MB Disc, I would install just the minimal drivers from it, non of the special stuff.

To see your unformatted ST2000 try this

rb: Start :ar: Computer Management :ar: Disk Management
Maximize to full screen
Take a Snip of it with the Snipping Tool, Save snip, then upload the snip here in your post.

View attachment 250001

Where do I find the snip tool?

 

[DocBrown]

I would power OFF & disconnect the Original C; HD until you get the Unformatted recognized & formatted. I remember seeing a post a few days ago about 2 HD's same make & model not seeing one of them.


rb: Start :ar: type in Snipping tool

 

[TrunkMonkey]

I would power OFF & disconnect the Original C; HD until you get the Unformatted recognized & formatted. I remember seeing a post a few days ago about 2 HD's same make & model not seeing one of them.


rb: Start :ar: type in Snipping tool

Awesome. I have to sign off for a couple hours and will return with my snip. Your advice to remove original C:, that would be the 1 tb drive with old win7 os? Because that would still leave 2 ST2000s in the case: new C and unformatted twin.

 

[DocBrown]

Yes, Remove the 1tb HD with the original windows OS, that is not being used presently.

 

[gregrocker]

Follow the same steps as in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 to get a perfect install.

Unlike XP, Windows 7 is the first driver-complete OS in the installer and via Windows Updates. I would first let Windows Updates install all Important and optional Updates after enabling Automatically deliver drivers via Windows Update (Step 3) . Only import drivers if needed for missing functionality or problems which can be traced to a driver.

 

[TrunkMonkey]

Ok I'm back,

• Disconnected power and data to the original 1 tb C: drive. Unformatted STE2000 is still not available via BIOS or Win 7 Disk Management. Disk Management snip is attached.
• Could it be related to my first question, and the lack of appropriate installed drivers? To be repetitive, during Win 7 install I chose the middle option (Install only important updates, or something close to that). I did have windows install AMD Radeon driver and Realtek Network card drivers (windows update versions, not downloaded from OEM), but that's all.
• Windows update is only notifying me of important updates and is not handling driver updates at this time (see snip). SP1 was offered up just before I signed off earlier, and was installed. There are more updates available now (26 important and 6 optional). Just so you get a feel for where the massive update procedure is at for the OS.

Quote:
"always use MOB site drivers,


Best to use the manufacturer's drivers.

Unlike XP, Windows 7 is the first driver-complete OS in the installer and via Windows Updates. I would first let Windows Updates install all Important and optional Updates after enabling Automatically deliver drivers via Windows Update (Step 3) . Only import drivers if needed for missing functionality or problems which can be traced to a driver.

Looks like the same two points of view have been expressed here as well. Any other votes to break the tie?

I remember seeing a post a few days ago about 2 HD's same make & model not seeing one of them.

Yes, Remove the 1tb HD with the original windows OS, that is not being used presently.

I asked to clarify which drive to remove temporarily because the above statement makes it seem like having two ST2000 HDDs connected at the same time may be the problem. By removing the old 1 TB C: drive, there are still two ST2000 drives connected (new C: drive and it's unformatted and missing twin).

Thanks again everyone.

 

[DocBrown]

Since is does not show in Disk Management, does it show in Device Manager ?



I am tring to remember how this was solved a few days ago with the 2 same HD's with like hardware ID's. Must have been something in the properties.

 

[gregrocker]

Were these matching HD's originally in a RAID? Is the SATA controller now set to AHCI? Have you tried changing the port? This is the reason we advise disconnecting all other HD's during install.

 

[TrunkMonkey]

Since is does not show in Disk Management, does it show in Device Manager ?

View attachment 250036

I am tring to remember how this was solved a few days ago with the 2 same HD's with like hardware ID's. Must have been something in the properties.

No, just the new C: drive appears in device manager.

 

[TrunkMonkey]

Were these matching HD's originally in a RAID? Is the SATA controller now set to AHCI? Have you tried changing the port? This is the reason we advise disconnecting all other HD's during install.

Both drives are fresh out of the NewEgg box. Never been used.

Sata controller is set to IDE for both 1-4 and 5-6 ports. Have not tried other ports and that was next on my list to do tonight.

The only HDD connected during Win 7 install is the current C: drive, which is working fine.

 

[gregrocker]

The preferred setting for install is AHCI on modern hardware which you can still change: AHCI : Enable in Windows 7 / Vista - Windows 7 Forums

You may need to initialize the other HD before it is seen. If it's not showing up in Disk Mgmt can you install it in another Windows PC to see if it shows up there to partition it? If not try Partition Wizard which can sometimes see what Disk Mgmt doesn't.

Have you done all of your Important and Optional Windows Updates? This is highly recommended since only one out of a million Updates is problematic, and Win7 needs to be current for performance, security and drivers.

Win7 will decide what drivers it wants. In Win8 you don't even interact with drivers, using advancements made in Win7.

 

[TrunkMonkey]

The preferred setting for install is AHCI on modern hardware which you can still change: AHCI : Enable in Windows 7 / Vista - Windows 7 Forums

You may need to initialize the other HD before it is seen. If it's not showing up in Disk Mgmt can you install it in another Windows PC to see if it shows up there to partition it? If not try Partition Wizard which can sometimes see what Disk Mgmt doesn't.

Have you done all of your Important and Optional Windows Updates now? This is highly recommended since only one out of a million Updates is problematic, and Win7 needs to be current for performance, security and drivers.

Windows update has been silent since that last batch of 32. So I think we're caught up at this point. All the biggies like .NET 4.0, SP1, etc all came through. I have yet to do all the drivers stuff, was still chewing on that along with the advice given here. At this point I'm leaning towards getting all the drivers from Asus which are labeled as certified by Microsoft, and anything else let Windows Update take care of.

Please explain AHCI, all I can recall reading a while back was that it had to do with hot swappable drives? I could be confusing it with something else, but I recall mentally crossing it off as a setting I would use. Apparently I shouldn't have.

 

[TrunkMonkey]

would it be correct to assume if the BIOS doesn't see the drive, that windows will not either?
I don't have another machine with Sata controllers, just old relics. So no testing on another machine. But in a bit I will move ports and cables around and see if that helps. I'm still wondering if it might be drivers lacking.

 

[gregrocker]

ACHI is more modern technology, like Win7 being driver-complete.
SSD Benchmark Tests: SATA IDE vs AHCI Mode
AHCI vs IDE – Benchmark & Advantage « Expertester

IDE mode and manually installing drivers is XPired and to be used on old hardware when the modern option isn't available.

 

[TrunkMonkey]

ACHI is more modern technology, like Win7 being driver-complete.
SSD Benchmark Tests: SATA IDE vs AHCI Mode
AHCI vs IDE – Benchmark & Advantage « Expertester

IDE mode and manually installing drivers is XPired and to be used on old hardware when the modern option isn't available.

Registry edit is complete. I will shut down in about 15 minutes, verify that both new drives are either both occupying ports between 1 and 4, or are occupying 5 & 6, as that's how the BIOS splits AHCI and IDE. Can you think of any other BIOS setting I should double check? It's mostly defaults (this is the latest BIOS V2001). I did enable EPU for power management. All the DRAM settings are default and above my head, stuff like interweaving and memory hole fixing. Q fan and cool and quiet are on. All the OnChip sata and Onchip sata ROM are enabled. Let me know if you want me to double check any thing else before I start the AHCI process.

After the change to AHCI is complete, I will go ahead and enable windows to take control of drivers and leave all the Asus software out of it. I kind of feel better leaving Asus out of it anyway, to be honest. All their software made me nervous.

 

[TrunkMonkey]

I was going to grab the latest AMD Radeon driver from AMD. It's about a year newer than windows version. What is your opinion on that?